A K-Pop Anthem & Authentic Leadership: Lessons from "Golden"

Full disclosure: I know almost nothing about K-pop.

But when I first heard Golden by Huntr/x, performed by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, something about it stopped me. The song, now topping global charts as the breakout single from K-Pop Demon Hunters, which has become the most popular Netflix film of all time, was more than a hit; it was a declaration. Beneath the catchy music was a story of courage, belonging, and authenticity that reached far beyond the stage.

I came to it late, months after it went viral, when I caught it on The Tonight Show. At first, I was drawn in by the rhythm and the vocal performance, but the lyrics lingered. But as I listened more closely, I began to hear something deeper: Golden wasn’t just about personal identity. It was about leadership: about finding your voice, standing in your truth, and helping others do the same.

As an Asian American educator and leader, that message struck deeply. Seeing an Asian American-led song command a global platform carried meaning beyond entertainment. For years, many of us who grew up in classrooms or workplaces where our voices felt peripheral learned to stay quiet, agreeable, or deferential. Hearing Golden roar across the airwaves felt like something had shifted. It was not just about popularity; it was about visibility.

In that moment, I realized that leadership, like artistry, begins when you stop waiting for permission to shine.

From a Song to a Framework

The more I engaged with Golden, the more it felt like a leadership framework - a sequence of growth that mirrors the journey every authentic leader must take. Each lyric carries a lesson about voice, courage, and connection. These lessons are not limited to music; they are milestones in how we grow, lead, and help others rise.

From Hiding to Shining: The Courage to Show Up

“I’m done hiding now, now I’m shining like I’m born to be.”

Every leader experiences a turning point, that moment when fear gives way to courage and waiting gives way to action.

When I think back, I was once the emerging leader who asked for permission for everything. I did not want to step on toes. I accepted every directive without question. I stayed safely within the boundaries others drew for me. I believed that being polite, agreeable, and invisible was the path to approval, perhaps even to leadership someday.

What I did not realize then was that leadership does not grow from compliance. It grows from conviction. It begins not when someone hands you authority, but when you stop asking for permission to think, speak, or act in service of what is right.

As I grew, I began to question inequities, traditions, and injustices that no longer served students or communities. I learned that silence maintains systems, while voice challenges them.

“I’m done hiding now” became more than a lyric; it became a mindset. Leadership begins when you stop waiting for others to validate your worth and start living your purpose.

From Solo to Solidarity: Leadership as Shared Light

“You know together we’re glowin’.”

Too often, leadership is portrayed as a solo act: one person at the front, one spotlight, one voice. Golden reimagines that vision entirely. It is not about one person shining the brightest; it is about creating a space where everyone’s light contributes to the glow.

As I grew into leadership, I realized the work is not about proving yourself. It is about uplifting others. Through my own advocacy and connector leadership work, whether mentoring emerging leaders or building cross-cultural networks, I have seen how shared light transforms isolation into belonging. Leadership done right is not a competition for brightness; it is a collaboration of light.

When you help others find their confidence, when you amplify underrepresented voices, when you mentor emerging leaders into visibility, your influence expands. The best leaders do not just shine. They help others shine too.

That is what it means to build a community of light: not one person standing apart, but many illuminating together.

Leading with Integrity

“Our time, no fear, no lies.”

Leadership brings pressure: to conform, to please, to avoid conflict. This lyric reminds us that real leadership is grounded in integrity, not image.

Early in my career, I often held back when I saw problems. I thought diplomacy meant keeping the peace. Over time, I learned that fear erodes trust, but honesty builds it.

Authentic leadership calls for more than confidence. It calls for congruence. Our words, values, and actions must align even when it is uncomfortable. When leaders model honesty and transparency, they create the psychological safety that allows truth to surface. That is where trust is built.

Authentic leaders are truth tellers. They do not project strength; they practice honesty. They show up as real people, not perfect ones. Leadership grounded in integrity makes space for others to do the same.

Seeing the Invisible: From Ghost to Guide

“I was a ghost, I was alone.”

This lyric captures something many educators and emerging leaders know too well: the feeling of being unseen. For years, I worked quietly and diligently, hoping my work would speak for itself. But invisibility does not invite opportunity. It requires courage to step forward and to notice others who feel the same.

Leaders who have known invisibility often develop a deeper empathy. They recognize who is sitting silently in meetings, whose contributions are dismissed, and who is waiting to be invited in. This is why I am eager to use my power to connect people, share resources, or open doors to another person who needs to be seen.

To lead “golden” means turning empathy into action. It means helping others move from feeling like ghosts to feeling seen, valued, and included. Leadership grounded in awareness transforms isolation into belonging.

Finding Purpose: Becoming Golden

“I’m shining like I’m born to be.”

Purpose gives leadership its staying power. It is what keeps us grounded when the work feels heavy.

For me, that purpose is rooted in service: helping others find their own path to leadership. When I mentor new educators or aspiring administrators, I often see echoes of that earlier version of myself: cautious, deferential, and waiting for permission. My role now is to help them find their own “born to be” moments, to realize that they already have what it takes to lead with conviction and care.

This is the essence of authentic leadership: aligning purpose with action, values with behavior, and courage with compassion. When purpose and identity meet, leadership becomes less about titles and more about truth.

Becoming Golden

Golden is not a song about perfection; it is a song about growth, about learning to trust your voice and helping others find theirs.

As Golden continues to climb charts worldwide, it stands as more than a pop success; it is a cultural statement. It celebrates the artistry, resilience, and brilliance of AAPI voices leading with confidence and pride.

I think back to that emerging leader who once asked for permission for everything: quiet, cautious, and unsure that leadership could mean questioning inequities and speaking truth to power. I may have discovered Golden late, but its message arrived right on time.

Authentic leadership is not about keeping pace with others; it is about finding your rhythm, your courage, and your light.

“We’re goin’ up, up, up, it’s our moment.”

And no, I will not be trying to hit any high notes - but the message still soars.

Dr. Andy Szeto currently serves as an Education Administrator for New York City Public Schools, focusing on academic policy and performance for overage and under-credited students. He's also an adjunct assistant professor specializing in educational leadership, teacher education and TESOL. You can reach out to Andy directly here.

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